Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Dunedin public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues
Marina Repair and Master Plan Progress
The east bulkhead should be substantially complete by late November, but paving slips to just before Christmas and the fishing pier is still stuck waiting on a federal fisheries permit review. Staff are documenting contractor delay damages and planning alternative boat parade viewing.
Wastewater Treatment Plant capital projects
The city refinanced its state wastewater loans at favorable rates — the finished projects close out at 0% interest and the remaining electrical project gets $17.5 million at 2.16%, far below the ~4.8% market rate.
Jolley Trolley Funding and Amendment 3 Threat
The property tax relief amendment that passed Tuesday means Dunedin faces roughly $4.7 million in cuts by 2028 and $7.6 million by 2029. The mayor promised residents will get input, with a contingency budget special meeting set for December 2 and possible cuts to pools, parades, and positions.
City Manager Compensation and Morale
Commissioners praised City Manager Jennifer Bramley but split 3-2 on her raise, approving 3% rather than the 3.5% given to other managers. Two residents publicly opposed any raise while the city plans layoffs under Amendment 3.
Damaged fence at 1440 Wildwood Court
A fence post and panel at the same property have been missing since Hurricane damage, cited under the accessory structures code. The owner lacked funds until his November social security check, so the board gave a 30-day deadline.
Accumulated debris and overgrowth on Fairway Drive
A single-family property has been cited twice for grass exceeding 10 inches and spilling over the public sidewalk and into the street. The front has been mowed, but the backyard remains overgrown, with a November 13 deadline to fix it.
Recycling services contract award
Recycling now costs $1.17 million a year — up from about $931,000 — and two commissioners balked at the price and the missing side-by-side comparison with the rival bidder before voting it down. It returns October 22 with more data, and residents' rates (paid through the enterprise fund) will reflect the outcome.
Dunedin Golf Club maintenance contract
The city is switching course-maintenance contractors to BrightView at about $868,000 a year — slightly cheaper — after member complaints and staff site visits to nine BrightView courses. The golf fund turned a profit last fiscal year and must keep paying for itself.
Penny for Pinellas V renewal and project priorities
The 1% sales tax that pays for big capital projects expires in 2029 and returns to the ballot in November 2028. Dunedin expects about $63 million but departments want $91.4 million in projects — Fire Station 60 replacement ($21.5M), Highlander Aquatic Complex ($16.5M), pavement management ($15M) and more. Expect lots of needs-vs-wants debate.
Senate Bill 1134 and Dunedin's Scottish heritage
New state law bars cities from funding or promoting anything tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion starting January 1, 2027 — and yes, that includes Scottish cultural events. Officials could even face removal from office for violations, so the city attorney is reviewing every event and contract.
Sunsetting two advisory committees
Two pairs of underperforming citizen committees were merged into one each — Social Services/ADA and Stormwater & Sustainability — to get more robust agendas and better attendance.
School drop-off traffic on Texas and Carolina Avenues
Two longtime residents described years of dangerous congestion, blocked driveways, and hostile parents from drivers using a residential block as an unofficial drop-off lane for the high school. Staff explained the gate opens for pedestrians and pledged continued talks with the school and sheriff, with an update due in a couple of weeks.
968 Douglas Avenue rezoning to Downtown Core
Rezoning 1.07 acres from Downtown Industrial to Downtown Core lets Mazas Development add ground-floor retail to a 318-space parking garage serving downtown and Main Street Exchange. Unanimous first-reading approval; final vote October 22.
Sunrise Townhomes redevelopment
Eight townhomes in a two-story building are planned for 0.59 acres across from the wastewater treatment plant. The same design was approved in 2024 but expired when permits weren't pulled in time, so it had to start over. The project would add roughly $11,500 a year in property taxes.
Howell Street neighbors' privacy and the city easement
A last-minute letter from neighbor Bill Faulkner asked for mature trees along the project's southern border. A 15-foot city-owned right-of-way sits between the site and the Howell Street homes, and the LPA asked staff to explore letting the HOA plant trees and a fence there. Neighbor Deborah Mobourne also came with concerns that her fence would be removed — the developer clarified it won't be.
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Contract
The city's law enforcement bill rises about 5.67% to $6.48 million, driven by collectively bargained deputy pay and benefits. Commissioners debated whether Amendment 3 cuts could force renegotiation.
Fire Station Condition Assessments
An $87,420 engineering assessment of Fire Stations 60, 61, and 62 was on the consent agenda, tied to hurricane hardening budget adjustments — the first step toward repairing or hardening the stations.
Easement Vacation at 1768 Santa Barbara Drive
A leftover 1920s-era utility easement running through a Santa Barbara Drive lot was vacated so the owner can build a home centered on the parcel — no utilities objected.
Resident Appeal over Demolition Permit and Building Board Access
A resident told the commission the city refused to let the Building Board of Adjustment and Appeals hear her appeal of a denied demolition permit; the city attorney explained the dispute involves a state statute, not the building code, so the board has no jurisdiction.
Homeowner cleanup rewarded with no fines
Terry Zervos painted his hurricane-flooded Mira Vista house and hauled away construction debris just in time — the board found him in violation but waived all fines, with a five-year repeat warning.
Final ARPA Funds Disbursement
With $382,508 left and a December 31, 2026 deadline, the plan is to shift it to the General Fund — effectively covering a month of the sheriff contract — plus $555,265 in flexible interest earnings still uncommitted.
Fine procedure change for first-hearing cases
The city attorney's office changed the board's template so fine amounts are now set at the second hearing, after members see whether owners actually made progress — inspectors no longer recommend a dollar figure up front.
Gladys Douglas Preserve Phase II Development
Designs for pavilions, restrooms, a pier and kayak launch are at 90%, but costs exceed the roughly $2.3 million budget. The project will go to bid with add-alternates so the city can buy what it can afford.
Vacant former Mike's Automotive property
A California LLC's vacant shopping center property had waist-high grass, trash, and homeless people living in the dumpster enclosure. The mowing got done, but the trash and tree trimming didn't — the owner has until October 21 or fines start.
50 Squire Court chronic nuisance property
Neighbors say the Williams property has been a two-year hazard — rats, debris, no running water, transients, and a dog attack that killed a pet. The board says its tools are exhausted and the fix — a chronic nuisance declaration or injunction — rests with the City Manager and Commission.
Grants Program Performance
The two-year-old grant specialist program brought in $11.5 million with only ~$700,000 in match, but the specialist position was cut in the contingency budget and the city manager is weighing outside administration versus future applications.
Public Works Efficiency Recommendations Implementation
The city is overhauling how Public Works plans, schedules, and tracks work — cutting equipment, freezing positions, and tracking every labor hour. So far it has saved about $565,000, with more possible in Parks and Utilities. Savings on frozen positions will come back to the Commission for a future decision.
Library Saturday closure
The library loses 4.2 positions, closes Saturdays, cuts $25,000 from books, and reduces programming — saving $372,050. Friday and Saturday are its lowest-attendance days, but the director admits closing hurts.
Parking Garage Financing
The city took a step toward building a $10.3 million, roughly 192-space garage at Douglas & Scotland by amending its deal with Pinellas County to use $3.2 million in CRA tax-increment funding. Debt service of about $850,000 a year will eventually fall on the general fund after the CRA sunsets in 2033.
Future of the existing pool and Parks & Recreation services
A survey found about half of pickleball court users are non-residents. Commissioners from both sides of the dais want a way to prioritize Dunedin residents — signage, fees, or ID checks — though any enforcement costs money.
FY 2027 Maximum Millage Rate and November Property-Tax Referendum
The city kept its property tax rate at 4.1345 mills for the 12th straight year and adopted the $138.8 million budget. Commissioners praised the stability but noted contingency planning continues because of Amendment 3.
2026 St. Patrick's Day Celebration
Mayor Freaney pulled the road closure list to ask when the festival returns to March 17. Pub owner Jason Seibert supports it but says sales dip on the actual holiday — he wants to try it next year.
Proposed Fire Special Assessment to fund fire operations
The city hired Cypress Revenue Solutions for $74,200 to design a legally defensible fire assessment — a new way to fund fire services that shifts some cost to property owners via a special assessment.
Bayshore Water Main Replacement
State Representative Kim Berfield delivered $1.5 million in state money to replace aging water lines along Bayshore Boulevard — better fire protection and fewer main breaks.
CRA Master Plan update and downtown capital projects
Economic Development is updating the CRA/downtown master plan with free help from Forward Pinellas before the CRA sunsets in 2033 — covering questions like whether to allow pedal pubs and street vendors downtown.
FY 2027 Contingency Plan
If voters pass Amendment 3 in November, Dunedin loses about $7.6 million a year in property tax revenue starting FY 2029 — money that funds police, fire, parks, and the library. The first $3.4 million in cuts starts January 2027 and touches nearly every department.
Potential Dissolution of the CRA
Commissioner Jeff Gow floated having the city consider dissolving the CRA as a contingency, which would send about $1.1–1.2 million in tax increment money back to the general fund. Staff countered that the county's share and downtown's broader economic engine would be lost. No action was taken.
FY 2027 CRA Operating and Capital Budget
The CRA adopted its $12.5 million FY 2027 budget, funding a Main Street streetscape redo, a master plan update, and downtown improvements. The budget includes a $9.1 million placeholder for borrowing toward the downtown parking garage, and tax increment revenue is roughly a 50/50 split with the county.
Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan
A fully grant-funded study of 60 flood scenarios identifies the wastewater treatment plant, supply wells, the Causeway, and neighborhoods as vulnerable to surge, rainfall, and sea level rise. Approved 4-1 but commissioners demanded a plain-English summary and a workshop on execution.
Rear setback variance for new Bay Street home
Cory and Gina Orzak want to rebuild on their grandfathered 88-foot-deep lot on Curlew Creek, but the code requires 100-foot depth and a 20-foot rear setback. The board agreed the 10-foot variance is the minimum needed and matches the neighborhood's irregular lot patterns.
Business Survey Action Plan and small-town character
Of about 800 businesses surveyed, the top concerns were traffic, affordable housing and losing small-town character. Staff laid out a seven-category action plan, including a business academy, a permitting data dashboard and possible code changes for downtown sidewalk displays during special events.
Compatibility standards governing new development
Dunedin's compatibility rule — on the books since 1997 — lets staff scale back height, density, and massing on projects that don't fit their surroundings, even if they meet zoning minimums. It's the main tool preserving the town's character as new development pressure arrives.
Live Local preemption on four-acre site near bowling alley
A state affordable-housing law (Live Local) lets a four-acre property near the bowling alley build up to 30 units per acre with extra height and less parking — overriding local zoning for those items. It will be approved administratively with no public hearing, so the LPA and the public won't see it.
Land Development Code rewrite — Module 2 development standards
The long-awaited rewrite of the land development code is slightly delayed — partly because state Senate Bill 180 bars cities from making code changes more burdensome to developers until October 2027. Staff hopes to kick off the process before year-end.
New Amberlea Park production well for hurricane resiliency
The city is spending $326,672 to drill its 30th well — built for hurricane resilience after storm surge knocked out wells, not for growth. Above-ground work will cost another $300,000–$400,000.
Dunedin Causeway motorized watercraft launching
The commission permanently banned launching or landing jet skis and other motorized watercraft from the Causeway beach, effective immediately. Supporters cited two jet ski deaths, seagrass recovery since the 2024 storms, and lack of infrastructure; opponents said no data proves jet skis damage seagrass and asked for a resident-permit alternative.
Tri-County MPO Merger and Dunedin's Representation
Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco may merge their three MPOs into one 25-member regional transportation board. Under the draft plan, Dunedin loses its guaranteed voting seat and could only hold a rotating small-city seat — a big deal for who speaks up for Dunedin's roads, trails, and transit priorities.
Hurricane storm cost recovery
Two homeowners (Bella and Ficken) told the board their roof and fence repairs are stalled by ongoing insurance and litigation battles. The board gave both 60-day windows to November 1.
Public Access to Strategic Plan Progress
The city launched a public dashboard tracking everything from fire response times to street sweeping and solar production. Commissioners like it but want resident focus groups to figure out what data actually matters to people — and they flagged a graph error on the pedestrian safety metric.
State property tax reform (SJR 2-F)
Property tax reform (HB 1F) passed in a June special session, and commissioners worry a one-size-fits-all formula could bankrupt some communities. The mayor asked staff to build a top-10 list of state home rule intrusions as talking points, and a 2027 constitutional taxation review could reshape everything.